Match Report
Thistle welcomed Clyde to Firhill for the final time this season with The Jags sitting just three points off the top of the table and fresh from a 4-2 win against Livingston seven days earlier. Ian McCall though was forced to change his team. Neither Liam Buchanan nor John Robertson were fit enough to take up a position in the team. Their places going to Ian Maxwell and Simon Donnelly.
Despite those changes Thistle looked lively in the opening minutes and Kris Doolan won Thistle a corner as early as the second minute.
Thistle were close to an opening goal in the 15th minute when an instinctive shot from Gary Harkins produce an equally instinctive save from David Hutton.
Harkins was again involved in Thistle's next attack. Kris Doolan collected a quickly taken free kick before squaring the ball to Gary Harkins. Harkins though was quickly closed down and his shot looped gently into the waiting arms of Hutton in the Clyde goal.
It was Thistle doing all the pressing and Kris Doolan came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute. In splendid isolation inside the Clyde box and not offside Doolan was able to lift the ball over the advancing Hutton but the ball landed on the top of the net rather than in the back of the net.
In the 29th minute Paul Paton flighted in a free kick following a foul on Gary Harkins but although Kris Doolan was able to glance a header towards goal it slipped the wrong side of the post.
Clyde had offered little as a threat but Tade was posing problems and in the 40th minute it took a well placed Simon Storey to snuff out any potential threat.
Thistle threatened early in the second half. Enterprising play from Marc Twaddle ended with his cross cleared. The ball wasn't entirely cleared and when an attempted overhead kick from Kris Doolan fell into the path of Simon Donnelly whose shot hit the side net.
At the other end Marc Twaddle did well to block a shot from Tony Stevenson.
In the 51st minute, after a spell of Clyde pressure, Thistle pushed forward once more and Gary Harkins stung the hands of Hutton with a low drive.
A minute later Kris Doolan could perhaps have done a little better than shot directly at Hutton when he enjoyed a break of the ball inside the Clyde box. The Thistle striker not perhaps realising that he had time and space to spare.
Clyde though took the lead in bizarre fashion in the 54th minute. Jonny Tuffey completely misjudged a pass back from Ian Maxwell and Tuffey's touch took the ball into the back of the net.
Thistle made a change a short time after the loss of that goal with Scott Chaplain coming on for Stephen McKeown.
In the 63rd minute Thistle made their second change of the afternoon with Kevin McKinlay coming on in place of Kris Doolan.
There were loud appeals for a Thistle penalty in the 67th minute when Donnelly went down inside the box. Referee Tumilty having a long look before awarding a corner kick. From the corner that followed Marc Twaddle sent a header over the bar.
With 18 minutes remaining Thistle made their final change with Lucas Akins coming on for his home debut in place of Simon Donnelly.
Clyde came close to making sure of the points in the 76th minute. Thistle were caught on the counter attack and when McLaren slipped the ball through to Tade he should really have done better than shoot over the bar.
In the 83rd minute Thistle could hardly have come closer to scoring without actually doing so. Great play from Lucas Akins set up Paul Paton and it took a quite excellent save from Hutton to deny Paton an equalising goal for Thistle.
As desperate as Thistle were for a goal it was Clyde that came close to scoring again in the 85th minute when Scott Gemmill hit the side netting.
